Telekinesis announces third album 'Dormarion' & spring tour

Seattle singer-songwriter Michael Lerner, aka Telekinesis, is gearing up for the release of his third full-length album this spring, accompanied by a North American tour.

The album is titled Dormarion and will be released on April 2 via Merge Records. It was recorded with drummer Jim Eno of Spoon in Austin, TX. Check out the song "Ghosts and Creatures" from the album below (it's quite a

Shout Out Louds to release 'Optica' in February

Swedish indie pop band the Shout Out Louds will return in 2013 with their fourth full-length album, Optica. The album will be released by Merge Records on February 26.

The band released the first single from the album, "Blue Ice," last week. Check out the music video for the song below where you'll also find the complete track list for Optica.

The band have announced North American tour dates

Merge signs Mikal Cronin, new album out in 2013

With 2012 winding down, Merge Records are gearing up for 2013. They've already announced new albums from Radar Brothers, Amor de Días and Mount Moriah, and now they've added another new artist to their roster.

Singer-songwriter Mikal Cronin is now a part of the Merge family and he will release the follow-up to his 2011 self-titled album in 2013. Cronin is currently touring as apart of Ty

Mount Moriah releasing sophomore album in February

Ever since Merge Records announced that they had signed local up and coming band Mount Moriah back in September, we've been waiting for information about the release of their sophomore album. Now that information has arrived.

The new album, Miracle Temple, will be released on February 26 on CD, LP and digitally (it will be out on March 4 in the UK). Check out the full track list below and a

Radar Brothers to release 'Eight' in January

Not only will Merge Records kick off 2013 with a new album from Amor de Días, but they'll also release a new album from Radar Brothers.

The album is titled Eight, for obvious reasons, and will be released on January 29 on vinyl and as a digital download only. There will be no CD release for this one. The album is said to be the band "darkest, hardest rocking, most psychedelic, and yet most

Amor de Días to release sophomore album in January

The duo of Alasdair MacLean (of The Clientele) and Lupe Núñez-Fernández (Pipas), better known as Amor de Días, are gearing up to release their sophomore album in early 2013.

The album, titled The House at Sea, will be released on January 29. The album was recorded by the duo in just nine days with engineer/producer Brian O'Shaughnessy and the rhythm section James Hornsey and Howard Monk.

Check

Mount Moriah signs with Merge, releasing debut album on vinyl

After announcing the signing of William Tyler and Reigning Sound on Monday, Merge Records followed  that by announcing that they have also signed up and coming Triangle band Mount Moriah.

Merge will release the band's self-titled debut album on vinyl for the first time on October 2. The release will include a digital download of the album as well as some bonus live recordings from the band's

Merge signs Reigning Sound, William Tyler

Merge Records has a had a big year of releases so far this year and there are still a few to go, but the label is already looking ahead to 2013. They just signed two new acts, The Reigning Sound and singer-songwriter William Tyler.

The Reigning Sound formed in Memphis and are now based in Asheville. They are led by veteran garage rock singer-songwriter Greg Cartwright.

Singer-songwriter William

Tracey Thorn to release holiday album in October

Singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn, formerly of the band Everything but the Girl, will release a new holiday album this fall. It's titled Tinsel and Lights and will be released by Merge Records the day before Halloween, October 30.

Instead of taking on holiday standards, she's releasing and album of more contemporary songwriters including Jack White, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith and

Mark Eitzel to release 'Don't Be a Stranger' in October

Singer-songwriter Mark Eitzel has had a bit of a rough few years. He had a heart attack last spring which delayed the production of new material, and his band American Music Club is said to have imploded, according to a Merge Records press release.

But those obstacles have been overcome and his new solo album Don't Be a Stranger will be released on October 2 via Merge Records.

Eitzel plans to

Album Review: Sugar - Copper Blue (Reissue)

The re-release of Sugar’s Copper Blue isn’t just for folks who loved it the first time around. It’s also for 20-somethings like me who have a post-1992 knowledge gap.

Recently renewed interest in the 80’s underground and hardcore scenes – Michael Azerrad’s "Our Band Could Be Your Life" playing a large role in this – provided many an education on the pioneers that led to Nirvana’s breakout

The Mountain Goats releasing 'Transcendental Youth' in October

Prolific singer-songwriter John Darnielle and his band The Mountain Goats are back with a new album titled Transcendental Youth, out on October 2 via Merge Records.



The album features twelve new songs recorded at Overdub Lane in Chapel Hill and will feature horn arrangements by Matthew E. White, leader of the Virginia band Fight the Big Bull. For a detailed account of how the album came to be,

The Music Tapes releasing 'Mary's Voice' in September

Photo by Nusper Kek

Singer-songwriter Julian Koster, who records as The Music Tapes, is back with his first full-length album since 2008's Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes.

The new album is titled Mary's Voice. It will be released on September 4 by Merge Records, who says that the album is "the warmest and most accessible invitation yet into Julian Koster’s world." Check out the track

Bob Mould releasing 'Silver Age' in September

Back in March, Merge Records announced that they had signed rock icon Bob Mould who would release a new album in the fall. Now, the details of the album are available.



The new album is titled Silver Age and will be out on September 4. It features ten new songs which, according to Merge, are "punishingly loud, melodically sparkling pop/rock vein of the Sugar catalog." Check out the track list

Merge to re-issue final two Archers of Loaf albums in August

After reissuing Icky Mettle last year and Vee Vee in February, Merge Records is reissuing the final two albums of the Archers of Loaf catalog this summer.

The albums All the Nations Airports (1996) and White Trash Heroes (1998) will be released on August 7 and, just like the other reissues, these are remastered and will feature a plethora of bonus tracks including b-sides and demos. Check out

Merge to re-issue entire remastered Sugar catalog

Merge Records announced earlier this year that they had signed legendary rocker Bob Mould, who would release a new album on the label in the fall. The details of that album are still TBA, but the label just announced that they will reissue the back catalog of Mould's 1990s band Sugar this summer.

The catalog will be released as two collections, both of which will be released on July 24. The

Redd Kross sign to Merge Records, new album out this summer

Veteran California power pop/rock band Redd Kross returned to the stage in 2006 after almost a decade-long hiatus, and this year, the band will return with their first new album in fifteen years.

The album is titled Researching the Blues and will be released by Durham's own Merge Records on August 7. Check out the track list below.

The band only have a few festival dates scheduled this spring,

Superchunk releasing new single 'This Summer'

To celebrate the summer and to help bridge the gap between 2010's Majesty Shredding and Superchunk's next album, the band will release a new 7-inch single this summer with, as luck would have it, a summer theme.

The single is "This Summer" and will feature the b-side "Cruel Summer," a Bananarama cover. It will be released on June 12 via Merge Records of course. It will be a limited run of 1,300

Record Store Day 2012 is coming with tons of exclusive releases

Record Store Day is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year and has continued to grow larger every year. This year's big day is Saturday, April 21, and the massive list of exclusive releases has just been announced, which features quite a few local acts and others with local ties.

There will be exclusives from Bowerbirds, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Hiss Golden Messenger and Ryan Adams, as

Bob Mould signs to Merge, new album out this fall

Indie rock legend and former Husker Du and Sugar frontman Bob Mould is gearing for the release of his 10th solo album this fall and has joined the Merge Records family to bring it to the public.

The yet to be titled album has already been recorded with drummer John Wurster (Superchunk, Mountain Goats and many more) and Jason Narducy (Telekinesis, Robert Pollard). No other details are available